About the Ibex Shak, the review says "“Gorgeous!” is how Ms. Chism described this pure merino wool hoody. “I felt very posh in it.”...The wool was “breathable and very thin” but cozy. She was surprised at how soft and “not itchy” it was. Ms. Chism also laundered the top in her washing machine, and then placed it flat to dry, per its care instructions. It dried “beautifully,” she said, and “didn’t wrinkle or stink like wet wool.”"

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanks for all the nominations. We selected 6 charities to benefit from our customer's purchases this year:Capital Area Humane Society - local Columbus OH shelter that housed our two hounds before we adopted themUNICEF Children's FundNature Conservancy4 Paws 4 Amelia - nonprofit organized to provide a trained mixed breed dog for local Ohio girl with autismMid-Ohio Food BankSchool for Young Children scholarship fund - nationally accredited preschool in Columbus OH

Some of these charities will benefit from eBay Giving Works auctions listed in our eBay store. Bid and you can get some fantastic green gear while benefiting great charities. We will start more auctions on Thursday of this week.

Monday, November 17, 2008

I just read a post about Charity Add-ons by Tim Berry over at Small Business Trends. It got me thinking about why we give 1% of sales to charity. Here's what I wrote about our donation program:

"

I own an online retail store that gives 1% of sales (that’s all incoming revenue, not just profit) to charity. We believe that giving 1% of profits isn’t enough because that number can so easily be manipulated.

We do this to potentially add value in the eyes of the customer and because we believe that success is meant to be shared. We attempt to engage our customer and charities by asking non profit nominations and allowing customers to guide our giving. (We’re actually accepting nominations now, if anyone wants to wander over to http://bayinghound.blogspot.com/2008/11/nominate-your-favorite-charity-for-1.html)

As a micro-business, supporting nonprofits through community leadership or volunteer hours is something I aspire to, but can’t do yet. I just don’t have the time, manpower, or physical resources to donate. As our business grows, I see potential for supporting charities in these ways.

Measuring the ROI of our charity donations is difficult, but I don’t necessarily need to know that number. I operate my business like I operate my life, which is to give back as much and as often as I can."

Bad poetry aside, I love, love, love this stylish bottle. It holds ample amounts of water to see you through an outing; it has an awesome flip straw that lets you drink your fill without tipping the bottle. Its wide mouth lets you clean it easily, as well as add ice to keep your drink cold. The stainless steel means no leaching of harmful chemicals and the designs give it the extra kick that Klean Kanteen is lacking.

Best of all? The clip, oh the clip! Ever overload yourself and need an extra hand to carry the water out to the car? Well, trouble no more! Clip your bottle to your belt, backpack, diaper bag, purse…it can clip to almost anything.

This bottle is all-around awesome. It has replaced my Siggs (sorry Sigg) and is used more than my Klean Kanteen, though it is a toss up there. The Klean Kanteen does come in different sizes; something that Nathan might want to consider. If that happens, it will be only Nathan’s for me!"

BPA free stainless steel Nathan bottles hold 24 ounces and are available for $24.55 from our store in 4 designs and 1 solid.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Over consumption - of energy, raw materials, and land - is the central cause of most environmental problems. Unfortunately it is also the central cultural practice in American winter holiday rituals.

We eat huge feasts on Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. We cut down trees and cover them in baubles to decorate. We hang lights and run them for hours every night. We send cards through the mail to everyone we know. We buy and give material gifts to many people. We party with excess every December 31.

Changing consumption habits is the simplest way to reduce the human environmental impact. The holidays are full of opportunities to do this without losing the meaning and joy of holiday rituals. Here are some things we do in our family to reduce our environmental impact and increase the spirit of the season:

Decorate a potted indoor tree - our Norfolk Island pine has been kept alive for three years running now!Reuse decorations year to year - they become family heirloomsSend holiday postcards - to save paper and transportation fuel because they weigh lessRun one strand of lights around the porch and one inside around the tree, both with limited timersDonate time or money to local food banks for holiday mealsMake gifts at home, purchase green gifts, or skip material gifts in favor of sharing a meal or time with the special people in our lives

Thursday, November 06, 2008

"Health-conscious athletes are choosing alternatives made from stainless steel, aluminum or BPA-free plastics. “Last year at this time we couldn’t pay anyone to take our stainless-steel bottles,” said Sloan Russell, the president of Guyot Designs, in Deer Isle, Maine. Now bottle sales at Guyot are expected to be $3 million this year, up from $60,000 in 2007. " Check out more of this commentary and slideshow of images from the NY Times.

We asked our friend Chris Jonard of the the Quintessential Quill to help us cover our most frequently asked question: Should I get a Kleen Kanteen or a SIGG?

Here is Chris' review:

With all the media coverage about BPA and its potential hazards, as well as the massive waste generated by disposable water bottles, getting a reusable water bottle makes sense. There are several options out there, but which one works the best?

Reusable plastic bottles are an option, but for those that want to be BPA free, plastic is kind of scary right now. This leads to metal water bottles. The top contenders are SIGG and Klean Kanteen. In a personal trial between the two, the clean winner came out to be Kleen Kanteen for a variety of reasons.

First, let’s talk SIGG. The SIGG bottles have different designs on them, many of which are just too cool for words. There are some seriously beautiful and extremely cute bottles out there. But judge not a book by its cover, as they say, for looks are not everything. I found that with everyday use, the SIGGs dent extremely easily. In fact, my first SIGG dented before it was even used! However, that is cosmetic and can be overlooked—though for the price one would think they would be a bit sturdier.I do have a friend, though,who says the liner on the inside has cracked due to a particularly deep dent. This however, has not been my experience (yet?) Also, the lids leak—thanks to a VERY determined toddler! Overall, I just am not sold on these, which is sad because, as I mentioned before, they are beautiful!

Kleen Kanteen has sleek lines that make them attractive, though not nearly as pretty as SIGG. However, rugged use with my KKs has yet to dent them at all. They are much sturdier (and a bit heavier) and the sports lid, so far, has been leak free. Oh! Another WONDERFUL thing about the KKs is that the mouth of the bottle is wide, so you can fit in a regular cleaning brush to clean it. The SIGG needs a special brush to get in there to scrub. Also, you can easily put regular ice in the KKs. My ONE complaint about the KKs is they are kind of boring compared to SIGG design-wise, but that is a minor complaint. They have spiced things up a bit by adding colors—I can only hope that designs are soon to follow?

So, to sum it up—the SIGGs are eye candy, but for a meaningful, long-lasting relationship, the trusty, sturdy Kleen Kanteens are the way to go.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

We have long tracked reports that bisphenol-a (BPA) may be a contributor to cancer, heart disease and more. We also shared the Food and Drug Administration's confusing assessment that BPA is probably not all that bad.

The New York Times published Thursday that an independent panel of scientists agree in a scathing report that the FDA has thus far not proven their case that plastic is safe. The Times published an editorial on BPA Sunday urging the FDA to "complete a more rigorous assessment".